Foot support



United States Patent Office 3,396,399 Patented Feb. 28, 1967 3,306,300 FOOT SUPPORT Jan H. van Kleef, Ronaldshay Ave., Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Filed June 26, 1963, Ser. No. 290,791 1 Claim. (Cl. 128619) The present invention relates to a removable arch support for shoes and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements of parts hereinafter to be described and claimed.

Generally there is provided an arch support which may be transferred from one pair of shoes to another and which comprises a body or core of ground cork between an upper layer of canvas and a lower layer of burlap and which may have afiixed atop a portion of the canvas a pad of sponge rubber or the like, the Whole being covered with an upper layer of leather to resist rot due to perspiration etc. The device is provided with a cup-shaped indentation for the heel of the user, a relatively high raised side portion for the support of the medial arch, a raised side portion for the support of the lateral arch and a raised pad under the ball of the foot for supporting the metatarsal arch.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a device of the character set forth which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and yet effective and eflicient in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character set forth which may be simply formed of easily obtainable materials.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character set forth having novel supporting portions for the various arches of a human foot.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification taken in conjunction with the drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of an embodiment of the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken in one direction along line 2-2 of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along line 55 of FIGURE 1, and

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken along line 66 of FIGURE 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, there is shown therein an arch support of the character set forth having a body or core 10 of ground cork atop which is atfixed a layer 11 of canvas. The bottom and sides of the core 10 are covered with a layer of burlap, indicated at 12.

If desired, adjacent the forward end of the device there is positioned a pad 13 of sponge rubber and a cover 14 of leather is afiixed to the top of the device.

At the forward end of the device marginal portions of the canvas 11 and burlap 12 are positioned in faceto-face relationship and a forwardly extending marginal portion of the leather covering 14 extends entirely over such marginal portions, as clearly shown in FIGURES 2 and 3.

The device is so shaped as to provide a cup-shaped heel supporting portions 17, a raised inner side portion 18 for the support of the medial arch of the user, a raised outer side portion 19 for the support of the lateral arch of the users foot and a raised portion 20 over the pad 13 for the support of the metatarsal arch of the users foot. The relatively thin forward edge of the device is adapted to occupy the space between the body of the users foot and his toes.

While but one form of the invention has been shown and described herein, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that many minor modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

An arch support for the human foot comprising:

a one piece integral core consisting of a cup shaped heel member at one end having raised side edges around three sides and a reduced in height central zone;

a sole pad of intermediate thickness merging with said heel member and having inner and outer sides;

an arch pad extending along the inner side of said sole pad and of increased thickness in relation thereto;

a lateral arch pad extending along the outer side of said sole pad and raised and thickened above the height of said side edges of said cup shaped heel member;

said cup shaped heel member, sole pad, arch pad and lateral arch pad being formed integrally of bonded ground cork arranged into a unitary structure;

fibrous material bonded around the exteror of said core and having marginal forwardly extending portions;

a metatarsal pad of sponge rubber lying on the upper surface of said fibrous material and overlying a part of said sole pad between said arch pad and said lateral arch pad and of reduced width in relation thereto whereby said arch pad and lateral arch pad remain uncovered;

and a top cover of leather bonded to the exposed upper surface of said fibrous material and overlying said metatarsal pad and said marginal forwardly extending portions of said fibrous material.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,349,355 8/1920 Zink 128-619 1,811,640 6/1931 Marcelle 128-6l9 X 2,141,699 l2/ 1938 Stem 128-619 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner. SIMON BRODER, Examiner. 

